Roughly a year after Tag Heuer’s chief criticizedApple’s first-generation smartwatch, the Swiss watchmaker finally introduced one of its own.
Tag Heuer announced its Connected Watch back in November, and it’s been available around the globe for a few months now. It’s the result of a team effort from Tag Heuer, Intel, and Google. Intel provided the chips, Google provided the operating system (it runs on Android Wear), and Tag Heuer provided the hardware and signature look.
What you’re basically looking at is a $1,500 Android Wear smartwatch. It looks and acts similar to Motorola’s Moto 360, though it’s notably six times more expensive. Google calls it “the first luxury watch powered by Android Wear.”
So is it worth $1,500? It depends on who you ask — the company markets its products to wealthy individuals, and this could be a pretty good bargain for those already familiar with Tag Heuer. It is, after all, owned by LVMH, the French luxury goods conglomerate, and it comes with a nice perk: in two years, you can trade it in (plus pay an extra $1,500) to get a Tag Heuer Carrera watch, which isn’t a smartwatch, but is often valued above or around $3,000.
If you’re considering buying this Connected Watch, it’s best to know what you’re getting into before you drop over a grand on Tag Heuer’s creation. Here’s what it’s like to use the $1,500 Connected Watch.
The Tag Heuer Connected Watch is made from grade 2 titanium for a premium feel.
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The button on the side showcases modern Tag Heuer iconography.
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From the bottom, you can see it’s powered by Intel — specifically, a 1.6 GHz dual-core processor. You also get a glimpse of the four-pin charging port from here.
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The Connected Watch’s 1.5-inch touch display is made from sapphire — the same super-hard material as the Apple Watch screen. The Apple Watch, however, has a higher pixel density with 290 pixels per inch.
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The Connected Watch’s diameter is larger than the 42mm Apple Watch. Tag Heuer says there is no smaller size available, but there might be in the near future.
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The watch itself is thicker than the Apple Watch, but many users say the Tag Heuer Connected Watch feels incredibly light for its size, which is a great accomplishment.
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You’ll get about a day’s worth of battery life from a single charge.
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Tag Heuer sells this watch in seven distinct colors.
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So what can you actually do with this watch? Let’s look at the watch faces first, which Tag Heuer calls its “dials.”
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This dial looks like a classic Tag Heuer Carrera watch face.
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This dial feels more like Tag Heuer’s “Aquaracer” variety.
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The interface for switching watch faces is pretty similar to how it looks on the Apple Watch.
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Now, onto the apps! Here’s how alarms look on your wrist.
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You just hold the X to turn off the alarm notification.
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Done!
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Google’s Android Wear tells you the weather in your area.
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It can also show you all the hot stocks.
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You can even read the news on your Tag Heuer Connected Watch. You can choose to get notifications from, say, BBC News.
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By swiping up or down, you can read the whole news story or dismiss it entirely.
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This is how Gmail looks on the Tag Heuer Connected Watch. Like the Moto 360, you’ll notice how the round screen cuts off a lot of text.
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Thanks to Google Now, you’ll get timely notifications for when to leave the house to get to a location on time.
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And you can also get incoming flight information.
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You can use Shazam to find out the name of that song that’s playing right now.
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Once Shazam provides the song and artist, you can tap it to sing along.
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That’s right, you’ve got song lyrics on your wrist now.
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Speaking of audio, you can control your music volume and playback right from the Connected Watch.
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Above all these, however, is the watch application you’ve been waiting for: Golf!
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Combining information from the watch’s GPS, gyroscope and accelerometer, Tag Heuer’s device offers all of the golf info you could possibly want — it can be your scorecard, show your distance to the next hole, and even suggest the best club to use.
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Tag Heuer’s smartwatch is a fitness device, too. It can count steps, work as a stopwatch, and plug into apps like Runtastic.
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This is a feature Tag Heuer calls “Guides.” You can check out what’s around you on your Connected Watch, look at locations, and call them.
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If you choose to call a location, you can talk via the microphone on your Connected Watch, or you can take the call on your phone.
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If you get an incoming call or text, there are easy ways to respond from your Connected Watch.
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Just click the reply button and start talking.
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Google Now accurately transcribes what you say, which you can easily send off with a quick tap.
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If dictation isn’t your thing, you can always respond with a hand-drawn emoji. Google’s tech will translate your drawing into the proper emoji, which you can then send.
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The Tag Heuer Connected Watch is currently available around the world, but you’ll need to visit a retail location to get it. You can find out if at a store near you here.